Metal spring cover



Dec. 19, 1933. Q E. LEIGHTQN 1,940,426

METAL SPRING COVER Filed June 1930 //////A;si

' a lnvenTor Oscav E. Leighhm Atfys.

Patented Dec. 1 9, 1933- METAL SPRING COVER Oscar E. Leighton, Cambridge, Mass, assignor to Ajax Spring Stabilizer Company, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Illinois Application June 16, 1930. Serial No. 461,287 4 Claims. (01. 267-37),

This invention relates to improvements in metal covers for vehicle springs, and isparticularly designed for use upon automobile leaf springs.

More particularly the invention comprises certain improvements upon the type of metal spring cover disclosed in the patent to Fred Schlesser, No. 1,648,742, granted November 8,1927.

The construction disclosed in the Schlesser patent comprises a plurality of tapering metallic units fabricated to conform to and closely to embrace corresponding sections of the spring, each unit being provided with longitudinally extending edge portions adapted to be interengaged and permanently locked together after the cover is applied to the spring, with the ends of adjacent units, and also the interlocking edge portions, telescopically engaged.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a. spring cover of the general character abovedescribed in which the overlapping the overlapping portion of an adjacent section. v

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of this character in which the overlapping longitudinal edge portion at one end of each section will extend into the enclosing end of an adjacent section.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction having longitudinally extending overlapping edge portions which are folded to provide a locked seam, with the locked seams of adjacent sections in staggered relation, and having certain of the folds forming the locked seams terminating sufiiciently short of the end of the section as to be free from engagement with the end of the adjacent section during the flexure of the spring. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a spring cover of the type described in which 'the longitudinally extending overlapping portions of adjacent sections are in staggered re- 'lation, with means for preventing relative longitudinal movement along oneof the horizontal sections ofxthe spring, while permitting relative longitudinal movement along the opposite horizontal portion of the spring during the fiexure of the spring.

Another object of the invention is to provide a metal spring cover comprising alternating outer and inner sections each of which is provided with longitudinally extending edge portions adapted to be interenga'ged to form a locked Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one-half of scam after the sections are applied to the spring, with the locked seams of alternating sections in staggered relation.

A further object of the invention is-to provide a construction having outer and-inner sections of the type above described in which certain portions of the folds of the locked seam terminate suiiiciently short of the end of the section to avoid engagement with the end. of the adjacent section, while certain portions of said extended edge portions project into and are enclosed by the overlapping end of. an adjacent outer section. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction of this character in which adjacent sections are welded together along the horizontal portion of the spring cover opposite to the horizontal portion of the spring cover containing the locked seams.

These and other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which, 1 i

a spring having applied thereto a spring cover comprising alternating outer and inner sections and showing a plurality of means for so connecting the telescopically engaged ends of adjacent sections as substantially to prevent relative longitudinal movement of said sections along one of the horizontal portions of the spring and to permit such relative movement between other portions of said sections;

Fig. 2 is a vertical horizontal sectional view on line 22 Fig. 1, showing means for preventing substantial relative longitudinal movement betweenthe lower horizontal portions of the spring cover, while permitting relative longitudinal movement between the upper portions thereof, and also illustrating the telescopic arrangement of the overlapping edge portions of the respective sections in one of the preferred forms;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the spring cover as applied to the spring showing one means for preventing relative lo'ngitudinal movement of said sections along the upper horizontal portion of said spring;

.Fig, 4 is an underneath plan view illustrating diiferent arrangements of staggered locked seams in one of which both ends of the locked seam of an inner section extend within the overlapping end portions of adjacent sections; in another of which the folds of the locked seam are cut away in such a manner that the entire locked seam terminates short of the end of the adjacent outer section, and in another of which the folds of the locked seam are cut away in such a manner that flat overlapping ends of the longitudinally extending edge portions are enclosed by the ends of the adjacent outer sections;

Fig 5 is a vertical sectional view on line 55 Fig. 6, showing the locked seam of the inner section extending telescopically into the outer section with the seams of adjacent sections in staggered relation;

Fig. 6 is an underneath plan view of a spring cover in which each section telescopically encloses the end of an adjacent section, with the locked seams disposed in staggered relation;

' Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the sections of the spring cover illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, and 6;

Fig. 8 is a similar view of an inner spring cover section in which certain folds of the overlapping interengaging edges terminate sufficiently short of the end of the section as to prevent engagement with the end of the adjacent outer section, while other folds overlap and extend into the end of said 'outer section, and also illustrating the overlapping edge portions at the other end so cut away that the entire locked seam terminates short of the end of the adjacent outer section; and,

I Fig. 9 is a plan view showing alternating outer and inner spring cover sections of the character above described with the telescoping ends or adjacent sections secured together by fused metal such as by spot welding, soldering, or the like.

The present invention contemplates the production of a metal spring cover which can be readily applied to the spring and in which the longitudinally extending edge portions of adjacent sections do not interengage and prevent relative longitudinal movement as in the Schlesser construction. It also contemplates the provision of a spring cover which may be either applied in individual sections, or in which the sections may be fabricated into a unit adapted to be applied to one of the half sections of the spring.

The construction illustrated'in Fig. 1 cornprises a spring 1 having applied thereto alternating outer and inner metal spring cover sections 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The section 2 is fabricated to conform to and closely to embrace the portion of the spring adjacent to the spring seat and is provided, preferably along its lower horizontal portion, with extended edges which are folded to form a locked seam 7, although the overlapping edge portions may be so constructed as merely to overlap and be secured together by welding, soldering, or otherwise.-

As illustrated in Fig. 1 the inner section 3 is fabricated closely to embrace the next corresponding portion of the spring and is provided preferably with a locked seam 8 in which the overlapping portions thereof are in staggered relation thereto as illustrated in Fig. 4. The opposite end of the section 3 extends into and is enclosed by the adjacent end of the next outer section 4 which is formed similarly to the section 2. The opposite end of the section 4 telescopically embraces the end of the inner section 5. and the opposite end of the inner section 5 is enclosed in and embraced by the end of the section 6. Diiferent means for preventing relative longitudinal movement of adjacent sections along one of the horizontal portions of the spring are illustrated in Fig. 1. The means for thus preventing relative longitudinal movement between the inner section 3 and the adjacent sections 2 and 4 along the lower horizontal portion of the spring comprises interengaging projections and sockets 9 and 10, (see Fig. 2) which are located in proximity to the plane of the under face of the lower leaf of the spring. Means for preventing relative movement between the upper horizontal portions of the inner section 5 and the adjacent sections 4 and 6 com- 1 prise projections 11 and sockets 12, (see Fig. 3).

In the preferred construction, which is illustrated herein, the longitudinal edge portions of the respective sections are so folded as to be interengaged to form a locked seam and the folds of adjacent sections are so positioned that when the sections are applied to the springs and the longitudinal overlapping edges of the respective sections interlocked, the locked seams of adjacent sections will be in staggered relation as illustrated in Figs. 2, 4, 5, and 6 The locked seams of each section may continue throughout its length so that the locked seam of one of the sections will telescopically enter the end of an adjacent section, as illustrated in Fig. 5, or as illustrated in respect to the sections 2, 3, and 4, in Fig. 4, or certain of the folds of the locked seam '7 of the inner section may terminate sufficiently short of the end of the section to be free from engagement with the end of an adjacent section. This can be accomplished in different ways. In the construction shown at the right end of the section 5 illustrated in Fig. 4, all of the folds of the longitudinal edge portions 13, 14, and 15, (see Fig. 8) terminate short of the end of the adjacent section, so that but a single thickness of thesection 5 extends telescopically into the end of the adjacent section 4.

At the opposite or left end of the'section 5,'

illustrated in Figs. 2, 4, and 8, the sections 14 and 15 terminate sufliciently short of the adjacent end of the section to avoid engagement with the adjacent end of the section 6, but the fold 13 extends to the end of the section 5 and overlaps the other body portion 16, as illustrated in cross section in Fig. 2.

The folds 17, 18, and 19 of the outer sections, such as are illustrated in Fig. 7, desirably extend throughout the entire length of the section,

as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 illustrates a construction corresponding to the spring cover illustrated inthe Schlesser patent, but differs therefrom in that the locked seams are in staggered relation. In this construction the-spring cover comprises sheet metal sections 20, 21, and 22, fabricated to conform to corresponding sections of the spring with the end of the section 20 telescopically enclosing a portion of the end of the section 21, while the certain folds of the locked seam may terminate sufliciently short of the end which enters an adjacent section and will be free from engagement therewith in the manner heretofore described.

Fig. 9 illustrates preferred means for preventing relative longitudinal movement of the spring cover sections along one of the horizontal portions of the spring by securing the telescopically engaged ends of adjacent sections together by fused metal such as by spot welding, by soldering, brazing, or the like. By thus securing the sections permanently together before application to the spring a unit is provided which may be applied to one of the halves of the spring. In some cases it is advantageous to unite the sections to form such a unit.

It will be understood that the particular embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is of an illustrative character and is not restrictive, and that various changes in form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A spring cover comprising a plurality of sheet metal sections fabricated to conform to and closely to embrace corresponding sections of the spring and having their contiguous ends telescopically engaged, each of said sections having longitudinally extending overlapping edge portions adapted to be interengaged to form a locked seam extending along the lower horizontal portion thereof, after the cover is applied to the spring with seam portions of alternate sections in such staggered relation that the seam portions of each section will be free from engagement with the seam portions of adjacent sections and means connecting the upper portions of the telescoping ends of adjacent sections acting to prevent relative longitudinal movement of said upper portions.

2. A spring cover comprising a plurality of sheet metal sections fabricated to conform to and closely to' embrace corresponding sections of the spring and having their contiguous ends telescopically engaged, each of said sections having longitudinally extending overlapping edge portions adapted to be interengaged to form a locked seam along the lower horizontal portion of the spring after the cover is applied to the spring with the overlapping portions of alternate sections in such staggered relation that the locked seam of each section will be free from engagement with the locked seam of an adjacent section, and with the locked seam of certain of said sections terminating short of the telescopically enclosing end of an adjacent section to permit unhampered relative longitudinal movement of the lower adjacent portions of said cover sections, and means connecting the upper portions of adjacent telescoping sections acting to prevent relative longitudinal movement of said portions.

3. A spring cover comprising a plurality of alternating outer and inner sheet metal sections fabricated to conform to and closely to embrace corresponding sections of the spring with the ends of the outer sections telescopically overlapping the ends of the inner sections, each of said sections being provided with overlapping edge portions adapted to be permanently locked together after the cover is applied to the spring with the overlapping portions of alternating sections in such staggered relation that the overlapping portions of each section will be free from engagement with the overlapping portions of an adjacent section.

4. A spring cover comprising a plurality of alternating outer and inner sheet metal sections fabricated to conform to and closely to embrace corresponding sections of the spring with the ends of the outer sections telescopically overlapping the ends of the inner sections, each of said sections being provided with folded overlapping edge portions adapted to be interengaged to form a locked seam along the lower horizontal portion of the spring with the overlapping portions of alternate sections in such staggered relation that the locked seam of each section will be free from engagement with the locked seam of an adjacent section, certain of the folds of the locked seam of each inner section terminating short of the telescopically enclosing end of an adjacent section, and with the overlapping edge portions ofeach inner section at the other end thereof extending into said enclosing end of an adjacent section and means connecting the top horizontal portions of adjacent sections acting to prevent relative longitudinal movement therebetween.

OSCAR E. LEIGH'ION. 

